Surgical Stapler Firing Lockout for Missing Actuation Sled
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical stapling devices lack a simple and effective mechanism to prevent the advancement of the drive assembly when a sled and/or knife is not present in the staple cartridge, leading to improper stapling and cutting operations.
Innovation Solution
A surgical stapling device with a lockout mechanism that includes a lockout member on the anvil assembly, which interacts with the drive assembly to prevent advancement when the actuation sled is absent, ensuring the device cannot be fired with a spent staple cartridge or without a knife.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lockout mechanism is added to prevent firing without an actuation sled, then safety and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A lockout member acts as an intermediary component between the actuation sled and the drive assembly. The lockout member includes a lockout surface that interacts with a corresponding surface on the actuation sled, mediating the interaction to ensure the drive assembly can only advance when the sled is properly positioned. This mediator approach provides reliable safety control without requiring complex sensing or control systems.
2Reliability
If the lockout member extends into the channel to block drive assembly advancement, then firing safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to additional blocking mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The lockout member is positioned in advance to preemptively block the advancement path of the drive assembly when the actuation sled is absent. The lockout surface extends into the channel in a predetermined position that prevents the drive assembly from moving forward, thereby preventing improper firing before it can occur. This preliminary blocking action ensures safety without requiring active monitoring during the firing process.
3Device complexity
If a simple lockout mechanism is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of sled presence deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation sled itself serves the dual function of both actuating the stapling mechanism and indicating its presence through the lockout interaction. The sled's own structural features (lockout surface) directly engage with the lockout member, allowing the system to detect sled presence through the mechanical interaction rather than requiring separate sensing mechanisms. The sled essentially detects its own presence by enabling or disabling the lockout function.
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical stapling device includes a tool assembly and a drive assembly. The tool assembly includes an anvil assembly (24), and a cartridge assembly that includes a channel member (56) and a staple cartridge (54). The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body (60), staples, pushers, and an actuation sled. The drive assembly has a working member that is movable through the tool assembly to advance the actuation sled through the staple cartridge and actuate the tool assembly. The anvil assembly supports a lockout member (50) that interacts with the drive assembly when the actuation sled is not positioned in a proximal portion of the cartridge body to prevent advancement of the drive assembly and firing of the stapling device.